New NSA Boss Says The Sky Is Not Falling Because Of Snowden Revelations

from the because-it's-not dept

While former NSA boss General Keith Alexander continues to run around insisting that the damage from the Snowden revelations has been catastrophic and has put us all in great danger, his successor in office, Admiral Mike Rogers (again, no relation to chief NSA defender and head of the House Intelligence Committee Rep. Mike Rogers), has actually been a hell of a lot more reserved in his own claims. In his latest interview, with the NY Times, he specifically notes that the sky is not falling from the Snowden revelations.

He repeated past warnings that the agency had overheard terrorist groups “specifically referencing data detailed” by Mr. Snowden’s revelations. “I have seen groups not only talk about making changes, I have seen them make changes,” he said.

But he then added: “You have not heard me as the director say, ‘Oh, my God, the sky is falling.’ I am trying to be very specific and very measured in my characterizations.”

Rogers also didn't spew the usual FUD about how we'd all be at risk if the bulk phone record collection was shut down, though, of course he said he still wanted access to the data in a reasonable amount of time, if necessary.

Admiral Rogers indicated that system, so long resisted by the security agency, was workable. “I am not going to jump up and down and say, ‘I have to have access to that data in minutes and hours,’ ” he said. “The flip side is that I don’t want to take weeks and months to get to the data.”

While it's doubtful that there will be any significant change in the NSA under Rogers, at the very least it's nice to see it have a leader who doesn't immediately jump to the usual FUD about how it absolutely needs every possible ability to spy on everyone or we'll all be put at risk.

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His own words before he was president prove otherwise.

You like the vast majority of other Americans only allow news sources instead of logic and common sense to frame your political views.

Anyone that thought Obama was okay most like has this problem right here.Problem: Listening to RICH PEOPLE creating class warfare and praising them for it! For you guys... its what they say and not what they do that frames them for you.

A wise man instead looks at was a person has done not what they say to determine what they are!

The Clintons, Obamas, and others like them all play the Rich Mans game while you eat the shit from their pants cause they 'tell you'!

While I hate the Repukes for their Corporate Whore mentality at least they are not trying to fool anyone with it! or worse... actually getting the fuck by with it.

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"I am not Anmerican you pompous, presumpuous pratt."

He didn't say you were an American, only that you were (probably) LIKE other Americans. Even though a couple of commas were missing, it still made perfect sense. Don't quote me on that, though, because I've never been all that great with commas either lol.

He is absolutely correct, by the way, regarding how a lot of people tend to form their opinions nowadays. As the saying goes, talk is cheap. Instead of listening to the so called news and empty promises made by politicians, we should instead be looking at all of their deeds to date. Actions will always speak louder than words and is a much more solid foundation to base a meaningful opinion on.

Like George Carlin noted, news outlets and the media in general tend to act more like an unpaid publicist these days, working on behalf of the government and military. Not surprising when you follow the money and look at who owns what.

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It seems a new story is brewing. In Denmark a number of documents from 1998-2000 has been revealed due to the equivalent to FOIA.

In the non-confidential documents from the department of commerce it is revealed that Denmark was threatened with getting kicked out of "the good club" (probably 9 eyes, though it is not clear) unless the market for cryptography was further regulated to curtail encryption. It is directly stated that security is the reason for the request. Denmark accepted to regulate in the end.

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Diginotar is Dutch ie. from the Netherlands. But it could just as well have been danish.

The reason I bring up the spectific topic is the focus from sir Rodgers on how long it takes to get the information. He basically repeats the exact arguments from the discussions after the 1998s Wassenaar treaty where cryptographic exports got limited to 56 bits by NSA.

I bet he has

I have seen groups not only talk about making changes, I have seen them make changes, he said.

The general public has been much more interested in security and making sure their communications are private after the Snowden leaks, so I've no doubt he has seen 'target organizations' make changes to their communications and the tech they use.

Re: I bet he has

You are right.

Let's tally up the list here:

1) US citizens are changing their behavior (securing their communications)2) Companies outside the US are changing their behavior (not working with US companies)3) Non-US citizens are changing their behavior (using services from countries other than the US)4) Terrorist organizations are changing their behavior5) The NSA? Oh, well, they are just going to continue on with what they were doing. Genius plan.

reading too much into a comment?

I think "I am not saying the sky is falling" is a careful way of saying "we don't want to admit the damage done". If the "enemy" has changed their way of operating as a result, then clearly there is some damage done.

Give him credit for not being an alarmist - or perhaps just being better at covering up the damage.